Tea! The Drink For All Seasons
Tea has stood the test of time
For centuries tea has been the drink that has warmed us when cold, cooled us when hot, cheered us up when we were blue, and magically made us feel, oh, so much better when under the weather. But tea has evolved and is definitely sprouting in new ways appearing in every category imaginable from cocktails, smoothies, main dishes, ice creams and more. It’s almost impossible to walk down an aisle or look at a menu without finding tea somewhere.
Foodservice continues to grow with tea becoming a more and more important offering in all types of restaurants. Between 2010 and 2015, tea saw a 16% increase in menu occurrences, according to Technomic.
If you don’t have tea on your beverage menu already or have yet to branch out beyond the traditional iced tea, now is the time to seriously consider how to incorporate some new tea concepts. As consumers move toward healthy beverage choices and premium ingredients, tea is a great option.
Lots of Bang for Little Bucks
It’s very easy for a restaurant to incorporate “Tea Service” without breaking the bank. And the pay-off can be very nice. According to the Tea Association U.S.A. Inc., Tea has seen a boost in the food service category with 6% or nearly $11 billion consumer dollars spent in the food service beverage category in 2014. On any given day, roughly one-quarter of adult Americans drink iced tea according to Datassential. Tea menu penetration is currently high, but QSRs in particular have seen growth in the number of teas being offered. The beauty of tea is it can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want it to be. Whether you choose to go with high-end loose leaf teas or basic tea bags found readily available in any store, a custom tea beverage doesn’t have to involve complicated or new equipment to execute.
Anytime for Tea
Fruit-infused/flavored ice teas are growing in popularity and are consumed year round. Also growing on menus are coffee-inspired tea drinks. Consumers are branching out beyond the popular Chai tea lattes. Start with any brewed tea and create a hot or cold latte, or any other tea based beverage of your choice. Enhance your tea creations with one of Lyons Magnus Premium Beverage Syrups. These convenient, ready to use syrups come in many flavor choices; Like, Vanilla, Sugar-free Vanilla, Caramel & Hazelnut. This is just the beginning! Dress your drink to perfection with a splash or a dollop of cream, a sprinkling of spice and voila! You’ve created a drink for all seasons. Don’t be afraid to take brewed tea and your favorite liquor and turn it in to a great cocktail.
Meet your Matcha
Matcha tea dates back to the 12th Century and was a staple ingredient of which traditional Japanese tea ceremonies were performed. Matcha is a special form of green tea that is carefully grown and harvested to produce the most delicate tea buds; they are then dried and ground into a fine powder. The earthy flavor of this perfectly ground tea is becoming increasingly popular showing a 50% increase on menus since 2010 (source: Datassential MenuTrends). According to tea expert and author James Norwood Pratt “Matcha is unique not only for its healthfulness and flavor but because it combines for Americans, the contradictory attributes of novelty and tradition.”
Here’s To Good Health in 2017!
At the beginning of each new year, individuals are evaluating lifestyle choices, which typically includes some diet changes. They naturally look for healthier menu options when dining out and the beverage menu is no exception. Matcha is known for its outstanding health properties and is now considered to be one of the most powerful super foods on the market today. Some of the benefits include: Super Antioxidants, Catechin, EGCg that have been recognized for its cancer fighting properties; it also enhances calm and boosts memory & concentration. This is definitely a note-worthy reason to give matcha a try on your beverage offerings.
Mix & Match
Consumers are seeking customization options, including within the beverage category. Alternative milks (see table at left) and sweeteners all work well in teas and provide easy ways for customized drinks. Consumer perception of non-dairy milks as high in protein makes them the perfect partner for tea such as matcha. This combination creates a nutritional powerhouse that could be positioned as a snack or post-workout recovery beverage. Creating a unique tea beverage experience is easy by incorporating beverage syrups.
Recipes:
Earl Grey Tea Latte (12 oz cup)
5 oz Steamed Milk 5 oz Hot Water 1-2 oz Lyons Vanilla Premium Beverage Syrup (#5079) 2 Earl Grey Tea bags Brew earl grey tea according to tea instruction. Remove tea bag and stir in remaining ingredients until combined. Serve warm.
click here for printable recipe
Passion Fruit Refresher (12 oz cup)
1 oz Lyons Premium Passion Fruit Beverage Syrup (#5085) 4 oz Brewed Tea, chilled 4 oz Lemonade Ice Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Stir until combined.
click here for printable recipe
Thai Mango Iced Tea (12 oz cup)
1 oz Lyons Premium Vanilla Beverage Syrup (#5079) ½ oz Lyons Premium Mango Beverage Syrup (#5080) 2 oz Half & Half 8 oz Brewed Tea, chilled Ice Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Stir until combined.
click here for printable recipe
Vanilla Matcha Green Tea Latte (10 oz cup) ½ tsp Matcha powder or a teabag of Matcha 4 oz hot water 4 oz almond milk or milk of choice, warmed ½ oz Lyons Premium Vanilla Beverage Syrup (#5079) Add Matcha powder to your French press or tea bag. Add water, milk, and Lyons Premium Vanilla Beverage Syrup and mix until combined. Allow Matcha to seep for at least one minute. *For a stronger tea, add less milk and allow to seep longer.
click here for printable recipe
Fun Tea Facts
(Source: Tea Association of the USA)
Today, the United States is now the third largest importer of tea in the world, after Russia and Pakistan, according to statistics from ITC (International Tea Committee).
The tea market represents almost $11 billion in consumer dollars spent in foodservice.
Approximately four in five consumers drink tea, with Millennials being the most likely (87% of millennials drink tea).
Millennials, more so than older generations, are seeking innovation and variety when it comes to current tea offerings.
In 2015, Americans consumed well over 80 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.6 billion gallons. About 85% of all tea consumed was Black Tea, 14% was Green Tea.
